Chris Jepson: The beautiful best of Winter Park

Nearly every community has its boosters; folks who understandably applaud the local charm while singing the virtues of its citizens. I’ve lived in and visited countless lovely cities in the United States and around the world. Winter Park is worthy of its motto as a city of “culture and heritage.” And I unequivocally add “beauty” as exemplified by the peacock adorning the city seal.

Beauty is a subjective word to use when describing urban environments, but I believe it is beauty that separates Winter Park from other communities. I think it is the towering majestic oak trees that I first noticed about Winter Park and its neighborhoods, some 30 years ago. You also become quickly aware of how water is such an important feature when navigating the town. Six lakes are within the city limits as well as the canals linking the lakes. The park which parallels the main shopping area (Park Avenue) as well as the golf course two blocks north add open spaces of delightful greenery to the environment.

My favorite city park is Kraft Azalea Garden at 1365 Alabama Drive. Its 5-plus acres sit on the south shore of Lake Maitland. There are soaring cypress trees that annually become a rookery for nesting snowy egrets. It is a stunning park with wonderful views; it has benches and a dock that encourage meandering walks and quiet solitude. There is always, year around, a breeze on the dock. I highly recommend it for intimate lunches.

Another stunning park is Mead Botanical Garden at 1500 S. Denning Drive. Not quite the radiant jewel that is Kraft Azalea Park, Mead offers a vast urban green space with unique wildlife habitats and flowering gardens. It has a boardwalk facilitating easy access to nature. Most hours offer quiet privacy. It is yet another beautiful ornament in the city’s crown.

Drive the brick streets of Winter Park and absorb the splendor of homes that are not hidden behind walled enclosures, shielded by officious security guards. One of the best drives in all of America is to slowly make your way down Via Tuscany, take a left on Via Lugano and end up turning around on the Isle of Sicily. Arguably as gorgeous and as unique a “neighborhood” as you will find in all of America. Stunning does not do it justice. But there are such jewels liberally sprinkled throughout Winter Park.

By all means avail yourself of the one-hour scenic boat ride that plies the waters of Lake Maitland and adjoining lakes. It is located at 312 E. Morse Blvd. and costs $14 for adults. Take your visiting guests. You will not be disappointed.

Beauty is not just found in Winter Park’s natural environment, there are a number of art museums worthy of your attendance. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum at 445 N. Park Ave. is a gem. It features spectacular Tiffany art and is a genuine steal at $6 for adults. I recommend as well the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens at 633 Osceola Ave. It displays the sculptures of Albin Polasek and is located in a stunning setting on Lake Osceola.

I would be remiss not to mention the beauty of the campus of Rollins College, located at the south end of Park Avenue. It abuts Lake Virginia and offers yet another fine art museum, the Cornell Fine Arts Museum. It is a gem of an institution.

Make a day seeing the stunning splendor of Winter Park. Include meandering down Park Avenue, do it all. Its beauty abounds.